Braxton Miller of Ohio State Buckeyes already throwing football after offseason shoulder surgery

CHICAGO — The plan called for a smooth transition. It lasted for only a single workout.

Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller was supposed to ease his way back into throwing the football as he progressed through his rehabilitation from offseason shoulder surgery, picking up a tennis ball first.

That blueprint didn’t last long, however, as Miller put his ability to accelerate things on the field on display by zipping through his recovery schedule and zipping around passes with his rebuilt arm.

“Yeah, I threw a tennis ball for one day,” Miller told ESPN.com on Monday. “One day, and then they were like, ‘Wow, you’re throwing pretty good. You can move up to a football.’

“I was just like, ‘Yeah, I’m ready to go.’ My body is ready to go.”

Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer confirmed that to reporters at Big Ten media days on Monday.

“He is ready to go,” Meyer said of Miller. “He’s full speed, best shape he’s ever been in his life.”

That’s welcome news for a team with national-title aspirations that revolve around the star senior’s athleticism and ability to test teams with more than just his legs. With Miller dealing with some soreness at the end of last season and then damaging his shoulder further in the Discover Orange Bowl, the Buckeyes clearly weren’t the same explosive team while he was operating at something less than 100 percent.